Fact-check: Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma did not say her participation in RSS events leads to her promotion

Several videos of Delhi High Court Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma have gone viral on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook in which she is said to be claiming that whenever she attends RSS or BJP’s events, she gets promoted.

The video, which is roughly 90 seconds long, started circulating soon after Justice Sharma delivered her verdict refusing to recuse from hearing the Excise Policy case against former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and others. 

One of the grounds on which Kejriwal sought Justice Sharma’s recusal was that she had attended the events of Akhil Bharatiya Adhivakta Parishad (ABAP), the legal wing of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). 

An Instagram reel with Justice Sharma’s video claimed, 

“Yeh hai Delhi High Court ki Judge Justice Swarnkanta Yeh kehti hai ki main jab jab RSS ke Programe mein jaati hu Mera Promotion ho jaata hai Iske baad bhi Judge Sahiba bias nahi hongie (This is Delhi High Court Judge Justice Swarna Kanta Sharma. She says whenever she goes to RSS programmes, she gets promoted. And yet, she is not biased).”

Several other social media posts made similar claims. Doubts were also raised about Justice Sharma thanking “baba” for her promotions. 

However, a Bar & Bench fact-check reveals that the claims made in the viral clip are false.

The original video dates to May 2024 and Justice Sharma was not speaking at an RSS or BJP programme, but a one-day national workshop organised by the Department of Law at Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidyapith. The topic of the workshop was Relevance of New Criminal Laws in Changing India.

Several pictures of the day were uploaded by the law college on its Facebook page, showing the details of the programme and several members of the faculty also participating in the event. 

The institution also uploaded a nearly seven-minute-long video of Justice Sharma’s address on its Facebook page. The video can be viewed here.

An examination of the video reveals that Justice Sharma said that whenever she comes to Benaras, “baba” has given her something and that every time she has been invited by the institution, she has been promoted. The “baba” Justice Sharma is referring to is Baba Bholenath (Lord Shiva), the deity of Varanasi (Kashi). 

The relevant text of Justice Sharma’s address is given here:

“Main jab jab Banaras aai hu, Baba ne mujhe kuchh diya hai. To jab bhi main yha par bolna shuru karti hu to ye prarambh sada Mahadev se hota aaya hai aur aai koi exception nahi hai. 

To jab mujhe har baar Baba ka sneh aur Vishwavidyalaya se Ranjan ji [Head & Dean, Faculty of Law] aur Shilpi ji [Assistant Professor, Department of Law] ka sneh kheech ke laata hai to har baar ek nayi Saugat se laata hai. Isliye aaj jo itne aadar ka chinh VC [Vice Chancellor] sahab ne mujhe diya to maine socha ki main aaj ise grahan kar ke, pehen k hi aau. 

Jab mujhe pehli baar aapne yaha par amantrit kiya to main sirf ek Sessions Judge thi. Jab aapne uske agle saal mujhe amantrit kiya to main usse ek step aage, Family Court ki district judge thi. Uske agle saal jab aapne mujhe amantrit kiya to main District and Sessions judge thi. Aur jab aaj aapne mujhe amantrit kiya to aapne mujhe, Baba ne mujhe, High Court ka judge bana diya hai. 

Isliye dhanyawad to mujhe aapse kehna chahiye ki aap mujhe yu hi bulate rahe aur Baba mujhe kuch kuch banate rahe. Prabhu meri arzi hai main wo ho jaau jo teri marzi hai.”

English translation: 

“Whenever I have come to Banaras, Baba has given me something. So, whenever I begin to speak here, it has always started with Mahadev and today is no exception.

Each time, the affection of Baba, along with the warmth of Ranjan ji [Head & Dean, Faculty of Law] and Shilpi ji [Assistant Professor, Department of Law], draws me back here and every time it brings a new gift. So today, when the Vice-Chancellor honoured me with this mark of respect, I thought I should accept it and wear it as I come here.

When you first invited me here, I was only a Sessions Judge. The next year, when you invited me, I had moved one step ahead and became a District Judge in the Family Court. The following year, when you invited me again, I was a District and Sessions Judge. And today, when you have invited me, you and Baba have made me a High Court Judge.

So, I should be the one thanking you, that you keep inviting me like this, and Baba keeps making me something more each time.

My prayer to the Lord is: May I become what Your will desires.”

Bar & Bench also spoke to Professor Ranjan Kumar, Head & Dean of the Faculty of Law, whom Justice Sharma referred to in her address.

Professor Kumar confirmed that the programme was organised by the Law Faculty of the Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidyapith and had nothing to do with RSS.

"All of this is being done with malicious intent. The programme had no relation to RSS or BJP. It was a law faculty event on the new criminal laws," Professor Kumar said.